Tobacco-bag.



V. M. COMBES.

TOBACCO BAG.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. 1915. RENEWED JULY 26.1918.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

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VERNON MARS COMBES, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TOBACCO-BAG.

Patented Oot. 29, 1918.

Applicati'on filed December 21, 1915. Serial No. 68,103. Renewed July 26, 1918. Serial 1510.246336.

To all whom it may concern:

Ze it known that I, .VERNON M. Connns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Bags, of which the following is aspecification.

()ne of the objects of my invention is to so improve the construction of self-closing tobacco bags, by the use of a bag and eX- panding'spring of peculiar construction, as to insure the complete closing of the bag when partially or entirely filled.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a bagwith means whereby the expanding spring may be readily removed from the sack.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an expanding spring which is so positioned as to not interfere with the filling of the bag, and which is sufficiently rigid to permit the bag being opened and closed by the use of one hand.

lVith these and other objects in view,

7 which will become apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bag showing the method of using the same.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bag.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the expand ing spring.

Figs. 6 and 7 arevertical sections 011 the lines 66 and 7-7 of Fig. 2 respectivel Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of modified forms of expanding springs.

Referring to the drawings, the bag A consists of a slnglepiece of cloth folded upon itself to form front and rear walls 1 and 2 respectively, and stitched along the side edges to form an open top bag. The sides of the bag are tapered so that it is narrower at its mouth than at the bottom as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The upper edges of the front and rear walls 1 and 2 are turned in for an appreciable distance, to form flaps 3 and a respectively, beneath whichthe expanding spring is removably held.

The expanding spring as shown in Fig. 5 consists of a single piece of spring metal wire bent to form a rounded base 5 and diverging arms 6. The upper ends of the arms .6 are bent over and downwardly and then inwardly to form the projecting loops 7 as clearly shown in the drawings. The wire forming the upper ends of the arms (3 and the loops 7, is flattened as shown at S.

Inthe modified form of expanding spring shown in Fig. 8, the wire is bent to form a rounded base 5 and substantially parallel arms 6 having loops 7 formed at their upper ends. In the modification shown in Fig. 9 the wire is coiled at the base 5, and the diverging arms 6 are formed with loops 7 at their ends.

The expanding spring is placed in the bag under tension, with the loops 7 pressing against opposite sides thereof at the upper edge, one of the loops lying against the rear wall 2 of the bag beneath the flap l. as clearly shown in Fig. 6, and the other loop lyingagainst the front wall 1, beneath the flap 3 as shown in Fig. 7. In-this position. the spring will hold the upper edges of the front and rear walls of the bag firmly against each other, and so prevent the contents of the bag from being spilled.

By forming the expanding spring with outwardly projecting loops at the point of contact with the sides of the bag, and male ing the bag narrower where it is engaged by the spring than at its base, I insure at all times, whether the bag is partially or completely filled, the tension being upon the. mouth of the bag, where it is needed to hold the same firmly shut, and not at a point below the mouth, as is liable to be the case if the bag and spring contact at several points. By flattening the upper ends of the expanding spring, I increase the tendency of the spring to hold the front and rear wall of the mouth firmly against each other.

The operation and use of my improved bag will be obvious. To fill the same, the arms 6 are pressed toward each other, relieving the tension upon the mouth of the bag, so that it'may be opened and the bag filled. Upon releasing the arms 6, the expanding spring will place the mouth of the bag under tension, completely closing the same. When 1t 1s desired to remove any part of the contents of the bag, the spring arms 6 are again contracted, opening the mouth so that the tobacco or other substances may be dumped out as desired.

' It will thus be seen that I have provided an'improved self closing bag positive in its action and in which the mouth will be held completely closed at all times.

It will be observed further that I have so positioned the expanding spring that the opposite ends thereof exert pressure upon opposite sides of opposite ends of the mouth of the bag. By thus exerting a diagonal pressure upon the mouth of the bag both sides thereof will be equally stretched, thus tending to hold the mouth firmly closed.

I claim 1. The combination with a bag comprising a front and rear wall and narrower at its mouth than at its base, of an inwardly turned flap upon the upper edge of the sald front and rear walls, a wire expanding spring rounded at its base and having diverging arms, the said arms having outwardly projecting loops formed of flattened wire, formed upon their upper ends, the said expanding spring being adapted to fit within the said bag under tension, with one or the said outwardly projecting loops lying against the rear Wall, of the bag beneath the inwardly turned flap at one side of the bag, and the other loop lying against the front wall of the bag beneath the said flap at the other side of the bag, to stretch the walls of the mouth of the bag and hold the same firmly against each other as and for the pur pose specified.

said spring beingadapted to fit within the said bag with one of the said arms lying against the bag beneath the inwardly turned flap atone side of the end of the mouth of the bag, and the other arm lying against the bag beneath the said flap. at the other side of the opposite end of the mouth of the bag.

3. The combination with a bag having an inwardly turned flap at its mouth, of an expanding spring under tension within the said bag, the opposite ends of the said spring lying between the said flap and the front and rear wall of the mouth of the bag respectively, at opposite ends of the said mouth, to stretch the walls of the said mouth and hold the same firmly against each other.

4. A bag having an open mouth with opposite side walls and an inturned fiap therearound, a spring within the bag having is ends held beneath the said flap andexerting outward pressure at one end against the bag toward one side wall at one end of the mouth, and exerting outward pressure at its other endtoward the opposite side wall at the opposite end of the mouth, the tension of said spring thus operating diagonally at the mouth of the bag inthe manner described.

VERNON MARS COM'BES.

Witnesses MELNILLE L. CoMBns, G. W. ROSENBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gummissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

